A TRANS-AFRICAN MOTOR TRIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 42, 15 March 1909, Page 4

A TRANS-AFRICAN MOTOR TRIP.

A TREJIEXDOUS JOURNEY. The motoring hero of the. moment is undoubtedly Lieutenant Graetz, the young German ollicer who is, journeying across Africa to Swakopinund, German South-West Africa, in. a 50-h.p. Guggeneau car. It is now almost seventeen months since. Lieutenant Graetz made a start from Dar-es-Salaam, the principal town in German! East Africa; but twelve of these have been spent in various unavoidable- delays, such as bridge-build-ing, read-making, motor repairs, and frequent runnings short of petrol, fresh supplies having to be awaited. He had marvellous luck vvith his tires, his first set lasting him for 4800 miles. OVERCOMING THE DIFFICULTIES. Lieutenant Graetz has had many thrilling experiences, When, he had covered but 000 miles oi his'journey Ms chtidl'eur ran the car into a river and the cylinders exploded. Fresh cylinders had to be seat for from Europe before he could proceed, and then, his chafff ur fell ill from blacfaviater "fever, and hiß place, had to be filled, whiich caused another delay. Between Abeioom and Koronga he encountered a liver which was impossible to bridge, consequently, with the assistance of Kaffirs, he was compelled to make 000 miles of road through the bush. At Bicca the petrol that had 1 been sent on in advance was found to have evaporated, and five weeks were wasted while a fresh supply was sent for from Fort Jameson. CRANES FOR, FOOD.

At this time the lieutenant's food consisted of such dainty morsels as enuics, and frogs. At Broken Hill there was a. nionth's delay. As a result of the raiji and l hctat, the wood of the wheels bad expanded and eonltracted, and the spoke-screws broke through

into the tires. He reacted Johannsburg on 11th December, and l a.t the present time should be. making his way across the Kaliihara desert. Supplies or petrol have been forwarded to various points along the route, and he carries 300 gallons with him. Lieutenant. (Iractz's object is to discover whether it is possible to travel across Africai in a motor-car, to learn something of the interior, and get some shooting.